Important Restaurant Change Hits Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Next Month

REMINDER: A long-shuttered Disney dining experience is about to reopen, and reservations are open NOW!

After spending NEARLY 6 years closed, the Tea Room — located inside the Grand Floridian’s newly renamed Garden View Lounge — is set to reopen to guests on March 19th, and reservations are now open for booking.

Afternoon tea has been a part of the Grand Floridian for decades, with the space formerly offering an afternoon tea party that was mainly geared towards adult guests. This elegant dining experience included teas, finger sandwiches, desserts, and even Champagne, with prices ranging from $35 per adult guest, up to a $150 for two for a special Berkshire package that included caviar. 

Disney also offered the “Perfectly Princess Tea Party”, a roughly $300 event for younger children and their parents, which offered guests a special appearance by Princess Aurora, music, dancing, and a parade, a “My Disney Girl” 18-inch doll in a matching gown, a silver-link princess bracelet, a fresh rose, a tiara, and a “Best Friend” certificate, and a menu of apple juice “tea” and finger sandwiches for children, and tea, finger sandwiches, and cheese and fruit platters for adults.

While both daily events were hugely popular with guests, often selling out months in advance, the parties shut down due to the COVID pandemic, along with the rest of Walt Disney World, in March of 2020. However, when the Grand Floridian reopened that September, the tea parties were nowhere to be found… until now.

According to Disney, the new tea room experience will be “a proper British afternoon tea experience” featuring “premium Twinings tea selections paired with delightful scones, small bites and exquisite pastries” all themed to Alice in Wonderland.

The full menu, which costs $79 per adult, plus tax and gratuity, includes the following:

Teas:

• London Strand Breakfast
• Spicy Chai
• Orangery of Lady Grey
• Blackcurrant and Lavender herbal tea

Tea-Based Cocktails:

• Mint Tulip: featuring Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Whiskey, Twinings Refreshers Peach Mango Tea Instant Beverage, and mint
• Mar-TEA-ni: with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Twinings Earl Grey Tea, lemon, and honey.

Non-Alcoholic Specialty Teas:

• Curiosi-TEA: with Twinings Refreshers Strawberry Raspberry Herbal Tea Instant Beverage with a touch of shimmering magic
• This Way, That Way: with Twinings Refreshers Peach Mango Tea, Herbal Tea Instant Beverage, and mint

Food

• Curried Chicken Salad Playing Card Tart: Savory curried chicken salad filling topped with cherry gelée
• Footman’s Feast: Wonderland Salmon Crisp with a salmon rillette on a miso brown butter crisp
• Tweedledee Egg Salad Sandwich: A traditional egg salad on beet bread
• Caterpillar Cucumber Roll: A delicious combination with butterfly pea-infused cream cheese and cucumbers on pumpernickel.

Desserts:

• The Matcha Mad Hatter: Sponge cake with apricot jam and yuzu buttercream
• Tea Party Tart: Vanilla tart, coffee custard, and chantilly cream
• Flamingo Croquet Choux filled with passion fruit cream and a raspberry crunch
• Painting the Rose: Earl Grey-flavored teacake painted tableside

There are also additional enhancements available, including a Seasonal Cheese Selection, or Royal Osetra Caviar with Mini Chive Biscuits and Traditional Accompaniments, along with a plant-based menu option as well.

For younger guests, there’s a $49 Children’s Afternoon Tea featuring “adorably delicious bites, including savory minis like the Queen of Hearts Cheese Toastie, a Fanciful Turkey Wrap, and a Sunflower Seed Butter and Jelly Bun. For dessert, kids can have the Cheshire Cat Raspberry Macaron, the Chocolate Brownie Branch, and don’t be late for the vanilla White Rabbit Cupcake.”

Reservations for this new experience opened on February 19th, with guests able to book 60 days beginning at approximately 6:00 AM EST (though you can start refreshing at 5:45 AM EST) online and beginning at 7:00 AM EST over the phone. Of course, if you’re staying at a Disney World hotel — including the Grand Floridian itself — you’ll actually be able to book for the whole duration of your trip (up to 10 days) beginning 60 days before your arrival, so you could conceivably book up to 70 days out.

After nearly 6 years, an afternoon tea experience is returning to the Grand Floridian, and it’s sure to be a popular addition to Walt Disney World’s itinerary of offerings. Reservations are available NOW!  Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney’s newest offerings.

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Are you planning to check out this new experience? Let us know in the comments below.

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